Protesters gathered in downtown Ottawa for the third time since the Israeli military incursion into Gaza to denounce both Israeli and Canadian political leadership for the continued fighting that has left hundreds of Palestinian civilians dead.

“Free, free Gaza. Shame, shame Harper,” chanted hundreds of protesters who gathered at the Elgin Street Human Rights Monument before marching toward Parliament Hill and the ByWard Market area followed by police officers on bicycles.

Although Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his unequivocal public support of the Israeli government was the main domestic target, protesters also cried “shame” at Opposition Leader Tom Mulcair and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau for not publicly condemning the Israelis.

“The Liberal party is in lockstep with the Conservatives in not even mentioning Palestinian casualties and the NDP won’t mention the word Palestine,” said Tyler Levitan, of the group Independent Jewish Voices in an interview. “It’s a complete de-humanization of the Palestinian people. The majority of people being killed in Gaza are innocent civilians. Our government is complicit.”

Levitan conceded that Israeli, especially its border communities, is also being bombarded by rockets being fired from Gaza.

“Of course I’m against the indiscriminate firing of rockets on civilians, ” he said, “but we have to look at the disproportionate realities. Israeli is one of the most powerful militaries on Earth. The onus is on Israel to stop violating Palestinian human rights and to accept Palestinians as equals.”

Opposition Foreign Affairs critic Paul Dewar rejected claims that the NDP had been uncritical of Israel and said that as “a friend” of Israel, Canada should be pushing both sides hard for a permanent ceasefire.

“Israel should be doing more to de-escalate and taking more care in dealing with civilian casualties,” he said in an interview Sunday. “From the (Harper) government all we’ve heard is that we support Israel 100 per cent and everyone else in the world should do the same.

“The government shouldn’t be simply rubber stamping everything that comes from (Israeli Prime Minister) Benjamin Netanyahu,” added Dewar. “We should be telling him that there are too many civilian casualties and it’s unacceptable.”

At the same time, he said, the Hamas rocket bombardment of Israel is contrary to all international law.

“We also have to think in terms of the Israelis who are living in fear,” he said. “They have built a good defence system with the Iron Dome and people have shelters to go to but living in constant fear is not acceptable either. They have the right to defend themselves, no doubt about that.”

(The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that 56 rockets and mortars were fired into Israel Sunday. Since the fighting began, the IDF says there have been 2,507 rockets and mortars fired into Israel, and 492 rockets shot down by the Iron Dome — a detect and destroy system).

But in its one-sided support for Israel, the Conservative government has effectively sidelined Canada on the global stage, said Dewar, and damaged this country’s ability to help broker an end to the conflict.

Harper has said that Hamas is a terrorist organization using innocent civilians as shields as it fires rockets into Israel.

“Canada calls on its allies and partners to recognize that these terrorist acts are unacceptable and that solidarity with Israel is the best way of stopping the conflict,” he said at the beginning of the conflict.”

The 20 days of fighting has led to the deaths of more than 1,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 42 Israelis, mostly military.

Gaza health authorities say that about 5,900 Palestinians have been wounded.

“The fact that my government supports and justifies every single crime committed by the Israeli government makes me sick,” Janan Arafa told the crowd. “I am ashamed that a wonderful country like Canada is governed by a man like Mr. Stephen Harper.

“Canada is known to be a peacekeeping leader in the international community,” she added. “Canadians believe in democracy, justice, the rule of law and the recognition of international law. It’s about time for my government to stand by its own principles.”

Arafa, a law student at the University of Ottawa, told the Citizen that her grandfather, uncles and 15 cousins under the age of 20 live in Gaza.

Hussein Alastal, who was at the demonstration with his three young sons, said he was there to help stop “the massacre in Gaza where children are dying every day and try to get our government to change its mind about the support they are giving to Israel.”

Alastal, born and raised in Gaza, said 21 members of his extended family have been killed during the fighting and those still alive are just waiting for the hostilities to end.

“I am in contact with them all the time,” he said. “They are basically waiting in their houses. It’s all they can do. They don’t have electricity. They don’t have water. They can’t do anything.”

Protest leaders vow to continue their public demonstrations in Ottawa until the fighting in Gaza ends.

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